OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 1, 2021) – It's almost time for Oklahoma Christian's return to volleyball, take two, and as sequels go, new coach
Jason Skoch wonders exactly what the storyline eventually will be for the Eagles in the program's first fall season since 1983.
It will be a different competitive world for OC this fall than the one the Eagles experienced this past spring, when they played an abbreviated, non-traditional schedule in the university's return to the sport. Characters will include players in different roles, a graduate assistant coach-turned-outside hitter, a couple of newcomers and a new coaching staff that didn't come on board until June, less than three months before Friday's season opener against Bentley (Mass.).
It's been a whirlwind for Skoch and the Eagles and the ride is far from over.
"It's gone like I expected," Skoch said of the transition, "but I don't think other people were expecting what I expected. What I mean by that is, we're trying to change a culture and behavior patterns fast. My goal is to build for the future but also respect this year, which means we have to expect a bit more crispy transformation. With that is going to come some struggles. I knew that.
"There will be some stress and there will be some tough moments, but you've got to be a visionary. That's easier said than done. It's good that we're getting into the games, because they need to see what their hard work has been going toward."
Skoch brings with him a winning pedigree, having taken six teams to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in his 15 seasons as coach at Truman State (Mo.), West Texas A&M and Saint Leo (Fla.). His goal is to mold the Eagles into a unit that relies more on its mind and togetherness to win than its talent, at least for the time being.
The Eagles remain young. For the majority of the 21 players on the roster, this past spring – when they went 6-12 and qualified for the Lone Star Conference tournament – provided their only collegiate action. Three others are true freshmen and only four Eagles (senior
Yolaine Mosquera Lopez, juniors
Kyla Chavez and
Kelsie Schiefelbein and sophomore
Caitlynne Hudgens) have previous collegiate experience outside OC. Depth will be a primary issue, Skoch said.
"Because we're not deep, if not everybody is focused or there in the moment, we drop off faster than other teams," Skoch said. "We need everyone to contribute and we can't be flaky about it. We don't have the luxury of being able to lay off, because we don't have the horsepower to get by on talent. For us to win, we have to be the most unified team. Again, easier said than done.
"I like being the cerebral team. We've got to use our wits to win. These kids are working hard. I know that. They're adrenaline junkies. … We're getting there. We have pieces, but we're not deep. We get exposed fast if someone is off their game, so it's trying to get them to find a consistent playing level (and) manage our highs and lows. For us to win, we have to be the tightest unit."
Leading the rotation in the middle will be the foursome of
Morgan Demuth,
Lily Saenz, Schiefelbein and 6-foot-4 newcomer
Megan Rek – a transfer from Blinn (Texas) who didn't play in the spring – with another freshman,
Joy Cortesio, providing quality depth due in good part to her outstanding work ethic. Demuth (90 kills, 51 blocks this spring) and Schiefelbein (80 kills, 73 blocks, 38 digs) represented the Eagles last season on the All-LSC team.
Saenz also will contribute as a right-side player along with hard-hitting
Talby Duerksen (113 kills, 26 blocks, 32 digs).
At outside hitter, Mosquera Lopez – a Colombian national-team member who served as a GA last season but opted to return to complete her final season of playing eligibility – will be a difference-maker. She will join Hudgens (a team-high 150 kills, 27 blocks, 183 digs) and
Allyssa Hamlin (who had 142 kills and made the All-LSC tournament team) in primary roles, with
Hannah Rouse,
Anna Strother and
Maddie Maile all capable of contributing when called upon.
The Eagles have a three-headed setter trio of
Jessica Souza (298 assists, 153 digs),
Spencer Plato (256 assists, 110 digs, 22 aces) and
Emily Armstrong (49 assists, 20 digs), with each having different strengths that Skoch can use in different situations. The same goes for the libero position with
Alexandra Aponte Torres (170 digs),
Brylie Berryman (a team-high 184 digs) and Chavez (31 kills, 18 digs, 8 blocks).
Chavez is the Eagles' veritable Swiss Army Knife, capable of moving from position to position as the team needs her to do so.
"Kyla is a valuable player," Skoch said. "We have no one else who can be a setter, that can be a (defensive specialist), that can be a pin-hitter. She's doing all these things and we need it. We have thrown her into every position but the middle."
Unlike last season, when the Eagles played four matches apiece against three divisional opponents, the LSC schedule this season will have them facing every other league team once. The LSC is one of the deepest conferences in Division II, featuring four teams – Angelo State (Texas), Texas-Tyler, Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M – which finished in the final Division II coaches' poll, along with traditional powerhouse Arkansas-Fort Smith. League coaches and athletic communications professionals picked OC to finish 12th in the preseason poll.
What will make a successful season for the Eagles? Skoch honestly isn't sure at this point but he's excited to find out as the season progresses.
"I believe if we win this year, it would be a God thing," he said. "I mean that sincerely. I don't have the capacity to figure everything out that needs to be done to do something special this year. But I also believe that you've got to give yourself a shot.
"We could be happy and accept the process and I guarantee we'll not have a great year. Or, we can push and we still may not have a great year, or we could have a story that people can write about. That's how movies are made. You've got to push the envelope. … You just keep plugging away and you never know what's going to happen."
